We are in the midst of the holiday season and I don’t know about you, but this time of year brings A LOT of hustle and bustle to my daily life. I find I have a little more stress, less sleep, extra calories, and I get exposed to a lot of people at work and in the stores with colds or the flu. But I also find there is a coziness and a warmth to the holiday season that brings friends, family and even complete strangers together.

Holidays can be full of ups and downs so this week I’m sharing my personal mind, body, spirit & skincare tips and tricks to stay positive and healthy this holiday season.

Mind, Body, Spirit & Skincare Holiday Tips

SKINCARE: Tips and Advice on Clean Skincare Products to Enhance Your Natural Beauty

Dry skin is very common this time of year but also flares in your psoriasis, eczema, acne and other skin conditions are also more prevalent. Here are some natural organic skin care products to indulge in this season to dampen those flares, soothe dry, irritated skin and a spot treatment to target those new pimples early on.

LIPS

  • For overnight treatment of dry lips, I love Burt Bee’s Overnight Intensive Lip Treatment.
  • For a little exfoliation, French Girl’s Rose Lip Polish. This product is a great exfoliator without being to abrasive on your delicate lips. Be sure to moisturize your lips after exfoliating.
  • For daily lip moisture I have fallen in love with Annmarie Gianni’s Antioxidant Lip Balm with organic cocoa butter and sea buckthorn and buriti oil

FACE

  • My face tends to break out easily so when I need a little extra moisture for my skin in the winter I tend to be very careful about testing out thicker facial moisturizers on a small area before they go all over my face. My go to moisturizer for several years now has been Annmarie Gianni’s Facial Oil for Oily skin. In the winter I find I just need to add an extra half of a pump to my morning and evening routine and sometimes a little dab during the day when I’m extra dry.

BODY

  • For the body, you will want to use a moisturizer twice a day and maybe even more often if your skin still looks dry. One option that moisturizes the skin well that’s paraben free, dye free, fragrance free and formaldehyde free is Vanicream. It’s a thick moisturizing cream thats great in the winter for your arms, legs, body and especially your feet. You can purchase this at most drug stores or online on Amazon.
  • Another favorite is All Good Coconut Lotion. It’s lighter than Vanicream, but still sustains moisturizing your skin for several hours in the winter. Because this is a lighter lotion, I recommend applying this several times per day, especially to those stubborn dry areas. You can purchase this at your local natural food store or online from their website AllGoodProducts.com.
  • Osmia’s Rosemary Body Mousse is another excellent option. It’s a beautifully soft moisturizer that rich so a little bit goes a long way. Purchase this from the Osmia website and sometimes I find it on CredoBeauty.com or The Detox Market.

MIND: Calm Your Mind, Connect with Your Inner Wisdom and Find Your Inner Peace and Serenity

To keep my mind calm during holiday season, I find that taking time to be alone and do some self-care really goes a long way. Self-care is different for everyone, but here are a few ideas and resources to inspire you!

  • Take a relaxing bath. Make a ritual out of it by gathering some candles, dim the lights, play some soft music, grab a bath pillow and maybe even a bath tray to place a book or a glass full of a beverage of your choice.
      • Be sure to use non-toxic clean burning candles such as beeswax candles or LED candles
      • Place your bathrobe, cozy socks or slippers, a lush towel and your favorite jar of body cream next to the tub so it’s all ready when you get out.
      • Add a bath bomb, bubbles, Epsom salts or some essential oils and maybe even some dried flowers or petals to your bath.
      • Relax into the water and soak it all in and enjoy the warmth of the water surrounding you. Focus your mind on things you are grateful for or just clear your mind by focusing on the light of the candle or the soft sounds of the music.
      • When you are done, take your time getting out of the tub, pat dry and apply a nice thick moisturizing cream to soothe your skin and then cozy up in bed and rest.
  • Getting a good night’s sleep can be very rejuvenating for the mind, body, spirit and skin. If you have some trouble sleeping I recommend reaching for relaxing music, listening to sounds of nature, guided mediation or guided imagery. Health Journeys is an excellent resource full of a variety of guided imagery audio downloads on sleep, relaxation, etc. You may also want to check out some of these apps for relaxing music and meditations: Headspace, Calm, Relax Melodies: Sleep Sounds, and Slumber.

BODY: Nourish Your Body with Clean Nutrition and Discover Herbal Remedies & Supplements to Help Heal Your Skin

Nutrition Support

During the holidays, there are lots of foods around that I don’t normally eat and lots of holiday parties to attend. It’s easy to get your nutrition off track this time of year. Also, you may be traveling so may not have the best food options in the airports or on the plane. Here are some great snacks to munch on BEFORE you go to that holiday party so maybe you don’t eat as much and you could also prep these and take them on the plane to snack on. You could also offer these at your holiday party as some healthy snack options!

  • Gather up some fresh veggies of various colors and arrange them around your favorite healthy dip such as hummus, tzatziki, olive, beet or avocado dip. Make sure you have a veggie that represents every color of the rainbow.

  • You could also add a bowl of freshly prepared fruit full of phytonutrient rich vibrant fruits like pomegranates, berries, apples, oranges, pears and kiwi.

  • To make this to-go, place the veggies and dip and the prepared fruit bowl in a BPO free containers that are well sealed and throw it in your bag.
  • I love pumpkin seeds and roasting your own from a fresh pumpkin is ideal, but when pumpkins aren’t in season and you don’t have time to do this, my favorite one is Go Raw Sprouted Pumpkin Seeds. You can find these at your local natural food store, sometimes I see them in the drugstores and you can also find them in Thrive Market.
  • Another favorite snack of mine is garbanzo beans or chickpeas. You can buy them, soak them overnight and then bake them in the oven with all different spices and flavorings. Or…if you want to just purchase them already made, my favorite brand is Saffron Road. You can purchase these from Thrive Market or your local natural food store.
  • Have a pretzel craving? I recently discovered a healthier version of pretzels from a brand called From the Ground Up and they make these amazing Cauliflower Pretzels that you can purchase this and many of these snacks from a local natural food store or online from Thrive Market.
  • A quick protein bar sometimes just does the trick for me. I love the Bulletproof Collagen Protein Bars and Pumpkin Spice is my new fav! These are small bars packed with 12 grams of protein in them and are very satisfying and easy to take on the go! You can find these on the Bulletproof website or sometimes I get lucky and I see them at my local natural food store.
  • I also love to snack on Brazil Nuts as they are packed with selenium which is an excellent fortifying nutrient for the hair, skin and nails. Brazil nuts also have enough amino acids to be considered a complete protein. You can mix them in and make your own nut mix with almonds, pumpkin seeds, pistachios and maybe throw in a few dried (unsweetened) fruits like cranberries, goji berries and some coconut flakes and cacao nibs and you have your own trail mix.

Immune Support

Besides washing my hands and trying to avoid close personal contact with those around me that have a cold or the flu, I add Immune Support Packets from Designs for Health to my supplement regimen. They contain comprehensive immune supporting nutrients like Vitamin C, D, A, E and K, Zinc, Echinacea, Reishi, Astragalus, Elderberry, Cordyceps and many more. If you’d like to check them out, you can set-up an account under my Fullscript dispensary and also have access to these and many more supplement options.

SPIRIT: Connect with the Heart and Soul of Your Beauty That Comes From Within

This time of year is a time of celebration for most religions. Connecting with your spiritual beliefs and diving deeper into exploring them can deepen your sense of inner peace. You also may feel inspired to learn about religions different than yours this time of year to understand what their celebrations and ceremonies are about.

Here are a few ways you can connect with your spiritual beliefs in the holiday season:

  • Take time to read a sacred text. Find a spiritual book that resonates with your beliefs and schedule at least 15 minutes or as long as you would like to read and reflect on a passage in the book.
    • You may want to create a cozy space and grab a blanket and light a candle. Sometimes writing in a journal to reflect on your insights to reference later can also be helpful. You may also want to either be in complete silence or play some calming music while you read.
  • Another idea is to research the history behind the various holiday celebrations. How did the Christmas tree tradition start? What is the story behind Santa Claus? What is Diwali? What is Bodhi Day? What does each candle in the menorah represent? What are the seven principles of Kwanzaa?

Be curious and open to explore!